After the Dragons fell to another embarrassing home defeat with a near full-strength squad, serious questions need to be asked about the future of the club in the hands of coach Paul McGregor.
While the excuse that this season has been plagued with off-field dramas that have hampered on-field success might seem to hold water at first, when put up to scrutiny, that argument is filled with holes.
Gareth Widdop being injured is not ideal but the switching of Widdop and Corey Norman at fullback and five-eighth was not working anyway, and was a stupid decision to begin with. Jack De Belin being taken away is another unavoidable problem but Blake Lawrie has been a capable makeshift replacement.
Those are the two long-term outs that have affected the side this year, along with a smattering of smaller injuries that should be expected during a season of full-contact sport.
The real problem lies deeper and is systemic within the Dragons administration. Mary has now been at the helm of the club for longer than any other coach in St George Illawarra Dragons history. The side has strike power across the park, which was reflected in the recent Origin series where six Dragons – the second most of any club – were chosen to represent their state.
So why is this stability and quality not coming together to form a competitive side?
It’s simple: the quality in the support and coaching staff simply aren’t up to scratch, and almost never have been at the Dragons. Mary might say all the right things at the press conferences but the fact is he is simply not getting the team to perform to their best at a consistent basis.
His rotation of the forwards has been downright confusing and his insistence on trying to turn Tyson Frizell into a middle forward for parts of the game is rage-inducing.
(Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)
The fact he continues to keep his job – and even got an extension – can be put down to the fact that he is ‘one of the good old boys’ and a club legend himself.
And it’s not just him. Mary’s little lambs include Ian Millward, director of rugby league pathways and former Illawarra Steelers junior, Dean Young, assistant coach and former Dragons player, Ben Hornby, assistant coach and Dragons captain during their 2010 premiership, and Mathew Head, assistant coach and former Dragons player.
It is not unusual for clubs to offer roles to former players, and by and large it is a good thing to provide for loyal servants of the team.
However, when these jobs are senior roles and the team is not performing, then questions have to be asked about the legitimacy of these positions and whether the right men have the job.
The Dragons are at an important point in their history. They have a good side and, with a few good decisions and recruitments, could be in a premiership window soon.
They have also recently secured their financial future, which means they can make a big push and establish a legacy that might one day be mentioned alongside the great sides of the 1950s and ’60s.
However, to do this, the Dragons need to be ruthless and treat their coaching staff like a business, rather than a pathway for past players.
Go after one of the great coaches and get him to bring in his own support staff.
Since 2001, the Dragons have only ever had one coach that wasn’t a past player, and he won them a premiership.
Imagine what they could do if they got another.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
The Walker Bros. and Jason Demetriou in the Intrust Super Cup were the first coaches to use the open expansive style of play and introduce an ad lib, play what is on front of you, rolling the dice attacking style of play instead of the boring structured sets that are more a game of consistency, attrition and Forcing Back. I am looking forward to seeing what your Dragons produced coach, Demetriou, can do for the Bunnies when "Papa Smurf" has his torch extinguished and is forced to leave the island. And that isn't a dark euphemism either btw.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Hmmm... good thoughts and analysis.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Great case study for 'keep it in your pants boys' and 'swipe left ladies, don't ask, just swipe left'.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
I'd like to see the Walker bros in there. I like the way they think, might shake up the comp.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Na, you are right.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Sorry mate, not thinking clearly. I was more referring to the fact that we had beaten Canterbury twice yet at the same ladder spot. 4 points off the spoon is what I should have said
NA
Guest
Mary, is not a big picture visionary or strtegic coach. More tactical witha combination of decisions with a smaller focus i.e ill pick this winger because he is big and we are up against a smaller winger on the opposition etc. (not a specific example but using it to make a point) What is lacking is the team design. The dragons have played an aggressive ''blow them off the park'' through the middle styled game for a few years now and then use the backs instincts to capitalise. They tend to solve their problems by always trying to play harder not smarter at key moments in the match and the season. Unfortunately the intencity of this approach is not sustainable which is reflective in the 'fade' that happens both in games and throughout the season . The week to week intencity becomes hard on the players to maintain both psychologically ad physically, and without an overall game design this style further drains the tank and reciprocates the problem. After a few weeks they freshen up and rack up a great scoreline or a few wins only to fade again at a later stage. At current the team is full of tactical players, without the strategic outlook that a Cameron Smith, Daley Cherry Evans or Cooper Cronk provide (although James Graham has this but not his position) nor does the club have this in its coaching ranks who can create clever strategy. that the player can execute (don't confuse tactics with strategy, two different things) If the dragons had a Warren Ryan type advisor, coach or mentor at the club they would reflect the bulldogs team of the 80's with tough and aggressive tactical players but a bigger strategy and team design that guides it. Or alternatively throw the chequebook at DCE and move Hunt to hooker (although don''t think this can happen)
ANGELO CINCOTTA
Guest
Finally, someone speaks out thank god. We have waisted 6 years and it will be another 3 before we get back to where we should be now. Time for some BIG changes.
Mountain Dragon
Roar Rookie
The Dragons will just employ more 'legends' to suck on the teet.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
Ps. With injuries and rep disruptions it doesn’t take a lot of self inflicted disruption to derail an entire season for a team. This seems to be the theme of the Swan’s “no dheads” policy, if you think we are here to party - there’s the door pal. At some point professional footy clubs and footy players will realise that they are being paid to be professional athletes, not self entitled boofheads.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
He actually did ok at the Cutters, took them to the finals in their first year. If yup knew the environment of coaching a reserve grade side, you would appreciate how hard it is. They usually don't know their team until late in the week, players are usually working to get by, and the team is playing second fiddle to NRL side
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
What makes him a successful coach? He hasn't done any coaching at all, apart from assistant coach at an underperforming Dragons side.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
One coach sacrificed in 2018 and now the competition is on to be the first to call the next sacrifice. I am so tired of these “death riding the coach of a struggling team” articles. St George has finally made their call on their preferred halves combo and needs to stick with it. Rep season disruptions are over, Widdop and Graham are due back and what we need now is continuity rather than more disruption. Go the Dragons.
Gus O
Roar Rookie
Agree, Widdop is the glue that makes the current mob work as a team. We’ve seen this over the past two seasons.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
People said the same thing about Des Hasler (the Penrith junior) but he took the Bulldogs to TWO GF’s during his time at Belmore. With Toovey you would never know how much of his heart he would throw into the endeavour. But given his history both as a coach and as a player it’s hard imagining him giving anything less than 100% effort and commitment. News Flash: Geoff Toovey and the Walker brothers (Shane and Ben) have declared their interest in the Titans job. BOTH would be excellent choices IMO. BUT, they need to be given free rein in taking a broom to the current Titans squad in terms of player recruitment and retention.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
You're kidding of course.. 2016; backline, Kiwi international half; GB international 5/8; Aitken was in form, an international, had played for PM's 11 and knocking on the door of Origin; another international centre; club legend and international winger - Gypsy; Duges was the Australian centre; pack had Packer, Rein, Leeson, Friz, Thompson, De Bel, Creagh... 12 rep players inc. about 10 internationals THEN IN 2017 they added Nene, Vaughan, McInnes, Sims, Leilua. How the heck are these weak rosters?? That's half the NSW Origin pack for 2 years + the KIWI front row + rep quality hookers + GB 5/8 + international quality outside backs... As I said, Dragons have had top 8 (or 4) quality roster for years.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
1. It's not a water based thing :) 2. He's a great motivator but we need more than that atm. Titans don't. 3. His heart is so 'Manly' that I can't see him being able to commit fully to any other Sydney based team.
max power
Guest
neil henry has a 48% win record
max power
Guest
that is not true, in 2017 many people tipped the dragons for the spoon. they had a weak roster in 16 and 17
nrlfan
Roar Rookie
I doubt Bellamy will be leaving Melbourne anytime soon even if they offered him twice his current salary. Maybe I'm wrong